Dispenser for flip-top cans



United States Patent 3,257,042 DISPENSER FOR FLIP-TOP CANS George A. Am, 2929 18th Ave. N., Minneapolis, Minn, Kalil Bernice G. Levy, 1811 Summit Ave., St. Paul,

Filed Nov. 26, 1963, vSer. No. 325,889 7 Claims. (Cl. 222-362) This invention relates broadly to dispensers, more particularly to means for dispensing powdered and/ or granular materials such as ground coffee, sugar, and the like, and specifically to a dispenser mounted within a receptacle for supporting a storage cannister' having what is known in the trade as a flip-top opening alfordin'g'access to the materials contained within said storage cannister.

Having thus described the present invention generally, the principal object of the same is to provide dispensing means cooperating with the opening in a storage cannister afforded by its flip-top tear opening.

A further object of this invention is to provide means for dispensing from a storage cannister, a measured amount of the materials contained therein.

A 'still further object of this invention is to provide a unitary dispensing means and a support for a storage cannister that is simple and positivein operation, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and adaptable to standard can sizes having a center opening flip-top closure, said standard cans aflfording a storage chamber for materials to be dispensed.

These and other objects of this invention will become 7 apparent from the following specification and claims when taken in conjunction with the appended drawing which forms a part of this application and in which drawing, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views. 7

To the above end, generally stated, the invention consists of the following devices and combination of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

Referring to the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the invention on an enlarged scale, and 7 FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view of. the receptacle with the invention attached thereto with certain parts thereof broken away for clarity.

Patented June 21, 1966 can in which materialsare sold, it will be understood that a storage receptacle having a central opening can be supplied as a part of the invention in which case the materials to be dispensed would be transferred from the commercial package to the said storage receptacle.

The invention proper comprises av relatively shallow shell 7 having inwardly and downwardly tapered side walls 8 and a handle member 9 secured thereto to facilitate the handling of the unit. An annular shoulder 10 that may be either in the form of a groove as shown, or a bead is formed below the upper edge portion of the shell 7 on the internal surfaces of the side walls 8 of the shell to afford supporting means for a cover member 11 which is an essential part of the invention. This cover member 11 is provided with a centrally disposed downwardly projecting relatively shallow spout 12 formed integral therewith, said spout 12 being positioned in the said cover member 11 to be in register with the flip-top opening in the storage receptacle 5 when the same is opened and placed on the shell 7 to be supported by the annular shoulder 10 and the cover member 11.

It will be understood that the storage receptacle 5 willfit within the upper end portion of the shell 7 with a relatively tight working fit as the same is pressed into engagement with the cover member 11 resting on the shoulder 10. The shell 7 is provided with an integral bottom portion 13 having a discharge port 14 adjacent one side thereof provided for a purpose that will presently appear more in detail.

The numeral 5 is directed broadly to a materials storage receptable which for the purpose of this application and invention will generally be a standard sized can of the type in which ground coffee is usually sold. It is important to note at this point that the instant invention is designedand particularly intended to be used in conjunction with such a packaging can known in the trade as having a flip-top opening to give access to the materials contained therein. It will be further understood that while the invention is primarily intended to dispense measured quantities of ground coffee, the said invention will work equally well with any powdered or granular material packaged in a can of the class described.

While no invention concept is involved in this invention with respect to the can itself it is important to understand that the same is provided with a soft metal closure at one end thereof and further comprises a centrally disposed scored section having a tab whereby the inital tearing of the said scored section is commenced to open the same for access to the materials contained therein. The details of the can opening are not believed to be necessary to this application and hence only the opening 6 is specifically identified on the drawing.

While the invention has thus far been described as being generally intended for use with a standard type of A manually operated movable carrier dispensing chamber 15 is p-ivotally mounted within the shell 7 and beneath the spout 12 by means of an outwardly projecting horizontally disposed stud 16 formed integral therewith said stud 16 being constructed and arranged to have pivotal engagement with an integral lug 17 formed on the internal wall surfaces of the shell 7. A relatively long horizontally disposed lever member 18 is formed integral with the movable dispensing chamber 15 at a point substantially opposite the mounting stud 16 and is of such length'as to permit the same to extend outwardly of the shell 7 through a narrow, horizontally disposed slot 19. The said lever 18 is provided with a finger piece 20 to facilitate lateral swinging movements thereof together with the movable carrier dispensing chamber 15.

Formed in the bottom portion 13 of the shell 7 is a relatively wide shallowiguide groove 21 terminating at its outer end portion in the discharge port 14 and at its inner end portion aifording a stop whereby the movable carrier dispenser 15 is positioned directly in register with the discharge spout 12 which is for-med integral with the cover member 11 to thus be in a position to receive a quantity of material when said carrier 15 is so positioned. It will be understood that while the guide groove 21 is illustrated on the drawing and described above, it is not absolutely essential that the same be used as the carrier dispenser 15 will function when the same is positioned in flush arrangement with the bottom member 13 of the shell 7 and in such an arrangement the horizontal slot 19 in which the lever 18 travels may act as a stop means to limit the said lateral swinging movements of the carrier dispenser from a fill position in register with the spout 12 to a position in register with the discharge port 14 in the bottom 13 of the shell 7. It will be obvious from the above that the said carrier dispenser is cylindrical in shape and has an open top and bottom. 7

It is important to note at this point that the spout 12 and the chamber of the carrier dispenser 15 are each providedwith inwardly and downwardly projecting directional baffle plates 22 and 23. The purpose of the bafiie plate 23 is to restrict the discharge opening 24' in the bottom of the carrier dispenser to thus permit a shorter lateral throw of the said carrier dispenser to position the same-over the discharge port 14 in the bottom 13 of the shell 7. This construction is necessary because of space limitations imposed by the size of the interior of the shell which will permit only a limited movement.

The bafiie plate 22 formed in the spout 12 is also provided to meet restrictions imposed by limited space and also to cooperate with the closure means for the spout 12 when the filled carrier dispenser 15 is moved out of register with the same. To accomplish this closure We provide a horizontally disposed plate 24 formed integral with the upper edge portion of the carrier dispenser 15 and dimensioned and positioned thereonto close a discharge port 25 in the spout 12 as the said carrier dispenser is moved out of register therewith.

While there is herein disclosed one embodiment of the structure, of the invention herein presented, it is possible to produce still other embodiments without departing from the inventive concept herein disclosed, and it is desired, therefore, that only such limitations be imposed on the appended claims as are stated in such claims.

What we claim is:

1. A dispenser of the class described comprising in combination a generally downwardly tapered shell affording a mounting means for a storage receptacle, said shell having side walls, a removable cover member, and a bottom member, a centrally disposed downwardly projecting discharge spout formed integral with the said cover member and a discharge port in the bottom member of the tapered shell, a measuring carrier mounted within the shell beneath the spout for lateral pivotal swinging movements about an axis offset from the longitudinal axis of the shell and lever means formed integral with the measuring carrier constructed and arranged to extend through a relatively long narrow horizontally disposed slot formed in the side wall of the shell substantially opposite the pivotal mounting point of the measuring carrier, said lever means traveling in the said slot affording means whereby lateral swinging movements may be imparted to the measuring carrier from a first position for filling the same with materials through the discharge spout from the said storage receptacle to a second position in register with the discharge port in the bottom member of the shell.

2. The structure of claim 1 further including a handle member formed integral with the outer side walls of the shell.

3. The structure of claim 1 further including an annular shoulder formed within the shell at a point below the upper peripheral edge portion thereof, said annular shoulder affording means whereby the cover member and its discharge spout and the storage receptacle are supported by the shell.

4. The structure of claim 1 further including a finger piece formed on the outer end portion of the lever outwardly of the shell whereby said lever is manually manipulated.

5. The structure of claim 1 further including a guide track formed in the bottom member of the shell, said guide track afiording stop means to limit the lateral pivotal swinging movements of the measuring carrier, said guide track being of the same width as the said measuring carrier and being downwardly projected relative to the horizontal plane of the bottom member thereby providing a stop shoulder at each end thereof to limit the movement of the measuring carrier, the inner end portion of said guide track and its stop shoulder being positioned to bring the measuring carrier into exact register with the discharge spout in the removable cover member, and the outer end portion of the said guide track and its stop shoulder being positioned to bring the measuring carrier into register with the discharge port in the bottom of the shell.

6. The structure of claim 1 further including a down- 'wardly and outwardly inclined baffie plate formed within the discharge spout of the removable cover member to restrict the discharge opening of said spout and a second baffle plate substantially in vertical alignment with the first noted bafile plate formed in the measuring carrier to restrict the flow of material therefrom, said bafile plates affording substantially discharge openings in the said spout and the said measuring carrier the latter being substantially of the same size and shape as the discharge port in the bottom of the shell, said restricted discharge ports being provided to permit complete discharge of materials to be dispensed from the storage receptacle and the measuring carrier relative to the limited lateral swinging movements of the carrier.

7. The structure of claim 1 further including closure means for the discharge spout, said closure means being in the form of a relatively wide horizontally disposed plate formed integral, and in flush arrangement with the upper edge portion of the measuring carrier for common movement therewith, said plate when pivoted with said carrier being so dimensioned to close the discharge port of the spout as the filled measuring carrier is moved out of register with said discharge spout to thus stop the flow of materials from the storage receptacle while the said measuring carrier is in a discharge position in register with the discharge port in the bottom of the shell.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,752,720 4/1930 Bergelson 222362 X 2,199,065 4/1940 Bell 222370 2,446,582. 8/ 1948 Gopner 222362 X LOUIS I. DEMBO, Primary Examiner. 

1. A DISPENSER OF THE CLASS DESCRIBED COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A GENERALLY DOWNWARDLY TAPERED SHELL AFFORDING A MOUNTING MEANS FOR A STORAGE RECEPTACLE, SAID SHELL HAVING SIDE WALLS, A REMOVABLE COVER MEMBER, AND A BOTTOM MEMBER, A CENTRALLY DISPOSED DOWNWARDLY PROJECTING DISCAHRGE SPOUT FORMED INTEGRAL WITH THE SAID COVER MEMBER AND A DISCHARGE PORT IN THE BOTTOM MEMBER OF THE TAPERED SHELL, A MEASURING CARRIER MOUNTED WITHIN THE SHELL BENEATH THE SPOUT FOR LATERAL PIVOTAL SWINGING MOVEMENTS ABOUT AN AXIS OFFSET FROM THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE SHELL AND LEVER MEANS FORMED INTEGRAL WITH THE MEASURING CARRIER CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TO EXTEND THROUGH A RELATIVELY LONG NARROW HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED SLOT FORMED IN THE SIDE WALL OF THE SHELL SUBSTANTIALLY OPPOSITE THE PIVOTAL MOUNTING POINT OF THE MEASURING CARRIER, SAID LEVER MEANS TRAVELING IN THE SAID SLOT AFFORDING MEANS WHEREBY LATERAL SWINGING MOVEMENTS MAY BE IMPARTED TO THE MEASURING CARRIER FROM A FIRST POSITION FOR FILLING THE SAME WITH MATERIALS THROUGH THE DISCHARGE SPOUT FROM THE SAID STORAGE RECEPTACLE TO A SECOND POSITION IN REGISTER WITH THE DISCHARGE PORT IN THE BOTTOM MEMBER OF THE SHELL. 